


The Intervention, part II

by Hane_no_Zaia



Series: The Intervention [2]
Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Gen, hero/villain au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-07
Updated: 2019-04-06
Packaged: 2019-07-08 04:25:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15922814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hane_no_Zaia/pseuds/Hane_no_Zaia
Summary: The continuation, because that wasn't a good ending.TM: So…?TM: Why would I switch sides again?CBA: I just started thinking.CBA: You can phase through matter. That’d be a pretty useful ability to have on our side.TM: I’ll have you know it’s a pretty damned useful ability to have on the side I’m on already, Boy.CBA: Not like that. I mean like search and rescue, not robbing banks.CBA: Or killing people, but let’s not get into that.TM: You really think I’m only good for phasing through matter?CBA: Personally, I think you’re good for a lot of things, but when it comes to search and rescue, it’d be pretty damned useful. You can expand it to things other than yourself, right? I mean, when you phase through walls, it’s not like you leave your clothes behind.TM: Well, thanks for that mental image.





	1. Sides/A Sleepless Night

**Author's Note:**

> What really went down after chapter 7 of the Intervention. Will be updated at some point in the future. Probably.

**-o0o0o-**

Allen gritted his teeth, steeling himself against the urge to flinch as the giant MRI scanner came to life. This was by no means his first time experiencing this, but that didn’t make him hate it any less.

“Are you okay in there, Allen?”

No, but he was determined to endure it. “I feel like I might actually die from embarrassment, but whatever. Just get it over with.”

“All right then.” Komui sounded like he wasn’t really believing him, but indulging him nonetheless. “Try to keep still, okay?”

Now that was way easier said than done, but whatever; Allen would keep his limbs locked up for however long it was necessary, provided it got him out of here even a minute faster. Such had been the plan at any rate.

Unfortunately, certain parts of his brain failed to get with the plan.

“Allen?” Komui’s voice was full of forced calm now; Allen blearily recalled that the man had used this exact tone the last time around. “Just stay like that, okay? We’re getting you out.”

It should have been a damned relief to hear those words, but it wasn’t, because Allen knew that this only meant that they would have to start the procedure all over again. He opted not to complain about it though, opting to screw his eyes shut and grit his teeth, his fingernails digging painfully into the flesh of his palm.

He opened them only once he was already outside of the machine, with Reever, the chief of the Science Division, peering down at him from above and Komui joining him soon thereafter.

Coming to think of it, while reoccurring health exams were a sad fact of life at the Agency, especially to those who had sustained serious injuries, it was not exactly normal to have both the Branch Chief and the Chief of the Science Division take part in one.

“Sorry,” Allen said, because the two of them probably had a shitload of other things to take care of; things that were urgent and getting delayed simply because Allen couldn’t keep his shit together for more than− “Just… give me something, okay? Komui…”

Staying in there for an hour and a half was simply too much; ten minutes had been bad enough.

“All right.” Komui put a hand to Allen’s forehead, smoothing his hair back while giving a bleak smile. “If that’s what you want.”

Reever worked quickly. Fortunately, so did the sedative.

**-o0o0o-**

_“Allen, again?”_

_“It’s nothing. Just twisted.”_

_“Sit down.”_

_The tone brokered no room for argument._

_“…It’s really nothing,” Allen repeated as the other crouched down to have a closer look. “Probably just twiste−argh!”_

_The touch was clinical, bordering on the edge of gentle but only just. “No broken bones.”_

_“So, nothing serious,” Allen concluded. “Told you so.”_

_“How?”_

_It was not a question as much as it was a demand for information._

_Still smiling sheepishly, Allen just offered up a mild shrug. “I took a tumble.”_

_“Off of the bloody roof?”_

_“Uh…” So, the other did see it. Well, hear of it, at any rate. “Narain…”_

_“Look at me,” Narain ordered, displaying his palm. “How many fingers am I holding up?”_

_On one hand, Allen appreciated the concern. On the other hand, though− “Look, it’s not necessary. I didn’t actually hit my head.”_

_“How. Many. Fingers?”_

_Oh, for the love of− “Seven. Happy now?”_

_Narain’s face lit up, but the smile was wry rather than earnest, and so were the words accompanying it. “That you have mastered basic addition? Ecstatic.”_

_“Honestly…” Allen had yet to figure out how to deal with Narain when he became like this. In any case though− “Well, what’s the verdict, doctor? Is it terminal?”_

_Narain straightened back up, still with that eerie smile playing on his lips. “The only cure for stupidity is death”, he said. “Surely you don’t need me to tell you that?”_

_“What’s so stupid about wanting to save people?!” Allen asked, because− “You don’t see me nagging at you for wanting to become a doctor. So, what’s wrong with be becoming a hero and−?”_

_“…Saving people?” Narain said. That eerie smile was still etched into his face, but his tone had changed._

_Allen looked at him, puzzled and a bit startled as Narain suddenly bent down and cupped his cheeks. “Narain?”_

_Narain just leaned closer, and as he did, an array of pentacles spread across his skin. “You, who couldn’t even save−?”_

**-o0o0o-**

Allen woke up to Komui’s hand resting against his forehead.

“MRI’s done,” Komui said. “Dizzy?”

Allen was just about to shake his head when he realised that probably wasn’t such a great idea. Instead, he sat himself up, willing his racing heart to settle down. “No.”

“Nauseous?”

A bit. “No.”

“Ready to hear the verdict?”

Allen was just about to say no when the question registered. “Good news or bad news?” he asked instead.

Komui smiled bleakly at that. “The good news is that, abrasions and minor concussion aside, you are likely to make a full recovery.

Well, considering his past record, this was nothing. “And the bad news?”

“The bad news is that you will have to stay here at HQ, with someone to monitor you, for the next 48 hours,” Reever cut in, and Allen snapped his head around way too fast. “Do you have anyone in mind or should we nominate someone?”

Allen expressed his opinions on the matter by vomiting on Reever’s shoes.

**-o0o0o-**

In the end though, Allen did in fact have someone in mind. And no, it was not Lavi, because Lavi was hard enough to deal with even when Allen wasn’t suffering the ill effects of a concussion. Also, Allen would rather not be quizzed on what had taken place while he had been declared missing – he had already given a rudimentary statement, and for some reason, they hadn’t pressed him on it. Odds were that they were probably waiting until he−

“Um… C2?”

Allen was in a swivel chair, spinning around. It made him dizzy, sure, but he wasn’t nauseous anymore, so that meant that he was okay and could go home now, right?

“Um… C2? Crown Clown?”

It was _Crowned Clown_ , but at this point, who even gave a damn? Besides, Allen wasn’t even wearing his mask now, so− “Sorry about calling you in,” he said, stopping his spinning to fire off a smile at the anxious-looking woman. “I’m sure you had better things planned, Miranda.”

As long as it wasn’t doing laundry; Allen would rather not wade through another wall of foam to reach the washing machine if such a scenario could possibly be avoided.

And yeah, calling the woman by her hero alias did not even occur to him. But that was likely the case for most, because while Miranda Lotto, alias _Time Record_ , was technically registered with the Agency, she was only deployed on rare occasions. In part, this was because her nervousness, klutziness and lack of fighting abilities made her unsuitable for regular fieldwork. However, it was also because she was considered way too valuable to be put at risk.

Because, being able to pause time, even in a fairly limited space, was useful, and being able to temporarily reverse the effects of time? Now that was priceless.

Rumours had it that the Agency was planning on putting Miranda on the same team as Noise Marie, alias _Noel Organon_ , and that they would be deployed specifically for search and rescue operations in disaster zones and such. If indeed so, then Allen thought it sounded like a fairly smart idea; Marie’s excellent hearing could detect survivors and with Miranda’s temporarily restoring buildings, it would be far easier to retrieve them.

The team would obviously need another member though, seeing that the number three was greatly favoured in this regard, and if that third was Kanda, well…

It would be a catastrophe in the making, to be perfectly honest.

Sure, Allen would obviously _love_ not having to see Kanda again for extended periods of time, but he wouldn’t want to see it happen at the expense of someone else’s mental health. Because, contrary to certain people’s opinions, Allen was tough, and he could handle Kanda, even on a bad day. Miranda however…

Well, she _was_ a lot stronger than people generally gave her credit for, sure, but Allen had seen her and Kanda interact exactly once, and it hadn’t been pretty to look at. Because, Kanda was vicious, plain and simple.

Besides, having lived in the same apartment building as Miranda for the last couple of months, Allen knew a thing or two about how she reacted when put under pressure. Even something as small as accidentally leaving a sock behind in the washing machine had been enough to turn her into a nervous mess that kept apologising for her very existence, not to even mention that time when she had accidentally used way too much laundry detergent.

Putting her on the same team as Kanda was just asking for trouble, or in her case, a nervous breakdown. And−

“A-Allen…”

Allen turned towards Miranda. She was fidgeting slightly.

“C-Can I−Would you mind it if I hugged you? I’ve been−We’ve all been so…” Seeing Allen’s somewhat dumbfounded expression, she went quiet, and just by looking, Allen could tell that she was mere moments away from launching into a longwinded apology for being conceited and existing and whatnot.

“Sure.” Allen smiled quite earnestly, spreading his arms. “Be careful of my ribs though.”

**-o0o0o-**

As it turned out, Miranda was not the only one who wanted hugs. Allen tolerated it, even if he made no secret of the fact that he thought that they were all overreacting. After all, in Allen’s version of events, he had only had another very close encounter with the Hero Killer; he hadn’t been kidnapped, per se, but his concussion had prevented him from thinking straight – as in, seeking out the Agency himself or having someone contact it for him.

It might not have been the greatest excuse he could have used, but it still sounded way better – not to even mention _believable_ – than what was apparently the truth.

The truth being?

Well, he _had_ been kidnapped – first lured into a trap, then taken down and then subjected to some new odd catch and release scheme by a villain that was also his poker pal, and somewhere in-between then and now, he had also been semi-adopted by a group of mobsters who were regulars at the bar he had frequented and−

“Anything else, Allen darling?”

−And if this was the result, then Allen caught himself thinking that maybe it hadn’t been such a bad thing after all, because having free meals and being on paid leave _almost_ made up for not being allowed to patrol. He mentally slapped himself for it though, because his pride – well, what remained of it – would hardly be able to withstand another encounter with Kanda’s feigned chivalry. Or another encounter with the fandom for that matter.

You see, Allen had made a very conscious effort to limit his exposure. Once released, he resumed his normal routines for the most part – his civilian ones, at any rate. The only real divergence was that he usually finished his day dropping by HQ to pick up his rations; Komui seemed to have figured out that offering free food was the most sure-fire way to get Allen to show up more regularly, not just every once in a blue moon. That said however, Allen rarely stayed very long; his reports were as short and concise as ever, but since no one had raised any serious complaints, he saw little reason to change that.

Besides, he had far better things to do than writing reports; he was being forced to work extra hard to make up for his previous absences and negligence, and since Allen wasn’t exactly academically inclined, he was suffering quite a lot.

Tyki wasn’t much help either, but Allen hadn’t exactly expected it either. Their meetings were a lot more sporadic now compared to before, but there was little to be done about it; Allen knew that he was being monitored, though he wasn’t sure to what exact extent. He had his suspicions though, and until he knew for sure, he couldn’t act carelessly. That said however−

When the heck did colluding with villains become such a significant part of his life again?

Speaking of which…

**-o0o0o-**

_CBA: Hey. Ever thought of trying out the other side?_

_TM: Hm, the other side of what now?_

_CBA: Heroics._

_TM: …Boy, I’m a villain, and a serial killer._

_CBA: So is Madness._

_TM: …_

_CBA: I did some digging, and as it turns out, he was on death row for multiple murder years before he joined the hero circuit. Kind of puts things into perspective, doesn’t it?_

_TM: …Well, that Agency of yours sure is a piece of work. Not to say that my side is any better to be perfectly honest._

_CBA: How so?_

_TM: Fishing for info?_

_CBA: I guess…_

_TM: Well, fire away then. It’s not like I have anything better to do._

_CBA: But won’t that get you into trouble?_

_TM: If any of this gets out, you’re the one in trouble. Me? Well, sure, but not much._

_CBA: …_

_TM: Anyways, I already mentioned my boss, right? A bit fucked up in the head but with an admitted soft spot for kids?_

_CBA: Yes._

_TM: Simply put, he’s the family patriarch._

_CBA: …Like your grandfather or something?_

_TM: More like crazy uncle._

_CBA: O-kay._

_TM: In any case, he’s not in town right now, so we’re mostly running ourselves._

_CBA: We?_

_TM: Me, my brother and my adopted niece._

_CBA: …What are they like?_

_TM: Well, Sheril’s a sadistic pervert and a brocon. Do know what that is?_

_CBA: Someone with a brother complex._

_TM: Yeah. Imagine._

_CBA: I don’t really want to._

_TM: Well, you asked for it._

_CBA: …_

_TM: As for my niece, she’s… a bit disturbed, to be completely honest._

_CBA: How do you know that?_

_TM: … I’d show you what her room looks like, but your phone’s too old. Buy a new one._

_CBA: No. They’re too fragile. I’d be buying a new phone every other week._

_TM: …With your current allowance, shouldn’t you be able to afford it?_

_CBA: …I guess._

_TM: So…?_

_CBA: So?_

_TM: Why would I switch sides again?_

_CBA: I just started thinking._

_TM: About?_

_CBA: You can phase through matter. That’d be a pretty useful ability to have on our side._

_TM: I’ll have you know it’s a pretty damned useful ability to have on the side I’m on already, Boy._

_CBA: Not like that. I mean like search and rescue, not robbing banks._

_CBA: Or killing people, but let’s not get into that._

_TM: You really think I’m only good for phasing through matter?_

_CBA: Personally, I think you’re good for a lot of things, but when it comes to search and rescue, it’d be pretty damned useful. You can expand it to things other than yourself, right? I mean, when you phase through walls, it’s not like you leave your clothes behind._

_TM: Well, thanks for that mental image. And yes, I can expand my ability to things other than myself. It doesn’t work on Innocence though, so if you want me to help you phase through any walls, you’re out of luck._

_CBA: Search and rescue, Tyki, search and rescue._

_CBA: Or, well, I guess you could assist surgeons in removing tumours? Or assist women with childbirth? I mean, with you around, I don’t even think a Caesarean section would be necessary anymore._

_TM: …_

_TM: Again, I can do other things than phase through matters. And no, I’m not considering entering the medical field._

_CBA: Fine. But you can also walk on air. Imagine how many cats you could rescue. From trees, you know._

_TM: Isn’t that the fire department’s job?_

_CBA: They’re busy putting out fires. We have a lot of those._

_TM: I’ll have you know that they’d be out of a job if I came around._

_CBA: That’s an awfully bold claim to make._

_TM: Boy, I can literally manipulate the laws of physics._

_TM: I can phase through solid objects, sure._

_TM: I can also walk on top of air and water (and other gasses and liquids)_

_TM: Lastly, I can also reject the shit out of any of those._

_TM: In other words, I can reject oxygen to extinguish flames in literal seconds, and I don’t cause any water damage._

_CBA: …_

_CBA: …_

_CBA: …Tyki, you’re seriously OP._

_TM: OP?_

_CBA: Overpowered._

_CBA: It’s not fair._

_TM: I don’t want to hear that from you._

**-o0o0o-**


	2. Mission/Encounter in the Laundry Room

**-o0o0o-**

The call came in late one Thursday morning.

To be perfectly honest, Lavi Bookman had been expecting this call for a while now.

In fact, he had just about reached the point when he had grown tired of waiting, but who even cared about that kind of thing at this point?

Lavi himself sure didn’t. “Morning, Chief.”

He swiftly received a greeting from the other end of the line. _“Good morning, Iron Hammer.”_

Knowing well that the Chief was not one to call him up without a good reason, Lavi went straight to the point. “What’s up?”

Perhaps some would have disagreed with his casual tone, but knowing the Chief, this was a secure line.

 _“Could you come in?”_ A brief pause followed the statement, and the shuffle of papers told Lavi that the Chief was looking at a report. _“I feel like I need to speak with you in person.”_

Well, this was technically Lavi’s day off and all, but… “Sure.”

**-o0o0o-**

Lavi had been expecting the call; Lavi had been expecting a lot of things, this included. That said however− “Uh… sure, I’ll do it, but… would I be doing this officially or off the record?”

“Off the record.” Komui pinched the bridge of his nose; he looked tired, and with recent developments, it was really no wonder. “And on the record, I summoned you here to scold you about your posts on social media. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Lavi simply grinned, because that was the type of excuse that might even hold up to some scrutiny. “Well, I’ll do my best, but C2’s− Well, you know?”

Komui steepled his fingers. “I have already put you down for the same shifts. As for the daytime…”

“I’ll just wing it,” Lavi said, shrugging. “Because C2’s on par with Yu when it comes to this kind of thing.”

Komui let out a heavy sigh at that, because while he himself had never been directly exposed to Allen when the latter was in an exceptionally bad mood, Komui knew a thing or two or eleven about the situation. Because Lavi had informed him. Obviously. “If there is an issue, then he can come to me,” the man said at last. “This is for his own safety after all.”

“I rather doubt he’ll see it that way though,” Lavi commented, because that was a given.

Going by Komui’s expression, the man felt the same. “We cannot have another incident like then one back in February,” he said wearily. “It’s sheer miracle that we managed to keep it under wraps. If something similar were to occur−”

Lavi knew what Komui was talking about, so he simply nodded. Because he was one of the few people who knew the truth about the so-called February Incident, and the true reason for the complete overhaul of the hero registration policies.

Of course, calling it the ‘February Incident’ was a bit misleading, seeing as to how it had really started months before that. The February Incident was just the culmination; the culmination and the turning point.

“I will do my best,” Lavi simply offered, moving to stand.

**-o0o0o-**

Lavi’s time to shine arrived soon after that, on one Saturday morning, roughly two weeks after the latest incident. Though technically speaking, Lavi had only been planning on doing some laundry, but once he headed down to the basement, he discovered that someone had already beaten him to it.

His neighbour, sixteen-year-old Allen Walker, did not seem to notice him though, not immediately at any rate, if the pacing and the ongoing phone call served as any kind of indication. _“Mafia?!”_ he hissed just as Lavi came within earshot. “You want to play Mafia with−?!”

 _‘With whom?’_ Lavi wondered, just as the teen turned around mid-sentence, spotted Lavi and came to an abrupt stop.

For a brief moment, they just stared at one another. Then Lavi gave a friendly wave while Allen just narrowed his eyes and turned around again.

“We’re not playing Mafia, period,” Allen finally deadpanned, clearly addressing the person on the other end of the call. “We’re playing either _Uno_ or _Cards against Humanity_ , and I’m gonna hang up now.”

Lavi looked on as Allen swiftly ended the call, slipping the beaten old cell phone into the pocket of his hoodie before turning around to face Lavi with a grin that was as broad as it was fake.

“Hi, Lavi. I’ll be done on about half an hour.”

And that was a clear dismissal if Lavi ever heard one. Still− “No worries. I can wait.”

And so, Lavi found himself a stool and took a seat, making no move to leave. Because it was not as though he had anything better to do anyway; Komui had made his secret mission a priority.

“So,” Lavi finally said, deciding that the somewhat tense silence had dragged on for long enough. “New friend?”

The grin morphed into a look that could, charitably speaking, be called a smile. “Not really.”

“Not so new friend then?” Lavi ventured.

“I guess,” Allen shrugged, face shifting into a more neutral expression as he shoved his hands into his pockets. “It’s really none of your business though.”

Except it was. “Chief’s worried about you,” Lavi blurted out, because while Allen might have had a problem with nosiness, his respect for Komui seldom wavered. “He’s kind of asked me to keep an eye on you.”

Allen blinked a bit owlishly at first. Then he let out a snort which was somewhere in-between amusement and exasperation. “No need. I can take care of myself.”

Yeah, except− “Evidence would suggest otherwise.”

“I picked a fight with a wall and I lost,” Allen deadpanned, rolling his eyes. “So freaking what?”

Yeah, except− “Walls don’t have hands.”

There was a decidedly careless shrug at that. “I also got mugged. It happens.”

Yeah, except− “I once saw you take down three armed assailants in your civvies.”

“I had a really bad day,” Allen said, the fake smile back on his face now. “But it got better.”

Yeah, except− “You got _kidnapped_.”

The smile didn’t waver. “Nope, just crashed over at my friend’s place without telling anyone. You’re all such mother hens, really.”

Yeah, except− “There was a fair bit of blood at the scene. I was _there_.”

“Head injuries tend to bleed a lot,” Allen said, pulling his phone back out. “And I got kind of woozy, so I asked my friend to come pick me up.”

Bullshit. But whatever. “And he did that, no questions asked?”

“He asked me which painkillers he should buy, and I told him,” Allen said, openly texting now. “He also brought takeout.”

That part was probably true, even if the rest of it wasn’t. “He sounds like a good friend. Where did you meet him?”

Now that was probably pushing it, but−

“Through my part-time job,” Allen said, typing incessantly on his phone.

“But you don’t have one,” Lavi said, because he knew for a fact that Allen didn’t. Then again−

“Money got tight, so I improvised,” Allen said. “How else was I supposed to survive? Financially, I mean.”

Lavi experienced a sudden chill. “Improvised how?”

“I befriended some old men and conned them out of some money,” Allen responded without missing a beat. “These days, they give me a pretty steady allowance though,” he commented.

Stop. Stop. _Stop_. Back up. What the _Hell_?

“Allen,” Lavi said, rising to his feet all while forcing himself to remain calm. “Are you being serious right now or are you just trying to divert my attention away from that mysterious ‘friend’ of yours? Because if you’re serious−”

“−Then it’s none of your business, is it?” Allen finished, and just as Lavi was about to protest, he continued, “I am allowed to have friends outside of work, right?”

Yeah, except− “Friends don’t give friends allowances.”

There was another mild shrug at that. “They’ve got excess money, whereas I don’t.”

Yeah, but− “They’re not… forcing you to do anything, I hope?”

Allen looked up at him briefly and then back at his phone. “I’ve only had to deal with a couple of hugs and kisses on the forehead. I’m charging extra for anything else,” he muttered, and had Lavi been drinking or eating anything, then he would have no doubt choked upon it.

Because he had expected a lot of things, but this? No.

On one hand, Lavi was about fifty percent certain that Allen was just trolling him.

On the other hand, that left a fifty percent risk that Allen was in fact telling the truth, and that the young hero was in fact being groomed by a bunch of− “You know what? I’m calling Komui. Right now.”

There was an evident twitch at that. “Lavi,” Allen said, smiling dangerously again. “Which part of _‘my life; none of your business’_ eludes you?”

Lavi found himself torn in-between a sudden urge to either shake him by the shoulders or just pull out the phone and be done with it. In the end though, he did neither. Instead, he put a hand to his face, taking a long moment to decide on how to tackle the issue at hand.

“Look,” he said at last. “There are protocols for this kind of shit, and if we don’t follow through, then we’ll get Central at our throats, and trust me, nobody wants that.”

As a matter of fact, Lavi could recite entire paragraphs of these protocols, given how he had pretty much learned them by heart. That wasn’t very likely to get through to Allen though. “Okay, fine,” Lavi said. “I won’t call. But, in exchange−”

“No.”

Lavi was caught off guard by the cold steel in the other’s voice and looked up to see Allen watching him with an equally steely expression, arms folded across his chest. “I’m sorry?”

“This isn’t a negotiation,” Allen stated, looking a bit irritated now. “This is me telling you to take that blackmailing bullshit and shove it right up your arse. If you’re really that concerned about my wellbeing, then you should fuck off and leave me the fuck alone. It’s my goddamned life, and I can use it for whatever I goddamn please. Got it?”

Lavi opened his mouth but snapped it back shut and nodded, wetting his lips. “Alright,” he said and sat back down, temporarily defeated. “That’s a fair point.”

It was, technically speaking, even if Lavi didn’t like it. That said however− “I’d still like to meet with some of your friends though… unless they mind, of course?”

Allen’s eyes narrowed dangerously at that. Then he turned around to wordlessly move the laundry from the washing machine into the tumble drier. Once the other had straightened back up and turned around to face him, Lavi was pretty sure that it was to flatly refuse him. Instead, he was faced with an uncanny smile. “Sure,” Allen said as he pulled his phone back out. “I’ll ask.”

Instead of celebrating his victory, Lavi gulped.

**-o0o0o-**

_Red: Yo._

_Red: I’m bringing a guest this week, so put on your best behaviour._

**-o0o0o-**

_TM: Hey._

_CBA: What._

_TM: Why are people telling me to wash up?_

_CBA: Maybe they think you stink._

_TM: …What?_

_CBA: Mostly of cigarettes though._

_TM: I’m not the only smoker in this group!_

_TM: Besides, I could totes ditch that smell if I wanted to._

_CBA: …_

_TM: What._

_CBA: Nothing._

_TM: …_

_TM: So._

_TM: Why is personal hygiene on the agenda?_

_CBA: No idea. I just told them I’m bringing someone extra on Friday._

_TM: Hoh?_

_TM: Who?_

_CBA: It’s a surprise._

_TM: …_

_TM: …_

_TM: …_

_TM: Are we talking regular civilian or…?_

_CBA: Irregular._

_TM: Ah._

_TM: Why?_

_CBA: Because he says he wants to meet my sugar daddies._

_TM: …_

_TM: What._

_CBA: Yeah, I know, I know._

_CBA: Seriously though, he seems to think that I’m being groomed or something._

_CBA: “Friends don’t give other friends allowances” and whatnot._

_TM: …_

_TM: Seriously though._

_CBA: Hm?_

_TM: Has anyone ever…_

_CBA: I’ve broken at least four fingers over this._

_CBA: And they were not mine._

_TM: Just fingers?_

_CBA: As far as breaking bones is concerned, yeah._

_TM: And as far as other injuries are concerned?_

_CBA: Do you really feel the need to ask?_

**-o0o0o-**


	3. Freaking Mobsters/Consultation

**-o0o0o-**

On one hand, this was progress.

On the other hand, this was fucking terrifying.

It was progress because Allen wasn’t actively sabotaging Lavi’s efforts to keep track of him, but it was also terrifying, because Allen was smiling, motioning for Lavi to go inside as if that was not the aptly named _Devil’s Nest_ , casual meeting spot for notorious mobsters.

“Are you sure this is the right place?” Lavi asked, because Allen’s ability to get lost had been established pretty early on.

Allen just scoffed at him and went ahead, and not wanting to be left behind, Lavi followed.

The doorbell rang out and immediately, several pairs of eyes looked towards them. Even the bartender paused briefly to take note of them before resuming the task of wiping the counter. However, they were hardly the only ones paying attention, because Lavi quickly recognised the faces of the three men seated at one of the tables and blanched. Even though he was a hero, his first instinct was to get out, because regular criminals were not their jurisdiction and bullets were still bullets.

Allen though− He waved; he freaking waved at them.

“Ah, Little Red!” one of them called out. “You’re just on time.”

‘Little Red?’ Lavi thought, inevitably falling behind as Allen sauntered over to the table and sat down on one of the chairs that had just pulled up for him and knocked back his hood, raking a hand through his hair.

“Little Red,” another commented, leaning in all while his eyes remained firmly in Lavi’s direction. “Who’s your friend?”

Allen actually smacked him on the arm, and Lavi inwardly screamed, because that was most definitely the boss of the Eighth District. “Play nice, Darius. He did come all this way to meet you guys after all.”

Rather than being upset by such treatment, the man looked only mildly annoyed. If anything, then the man looked almost… mollified?

“And you, are you coming or what?” That last bit was uttered by Allen, who had already started shuffling the cards. “We don’t have all night.”

**-o0o0o-**

Maybe they didn’t have _all_ night, but they had more than enough time to go more than a few rounds. It seemed as though they were missing someone though.

“Hey, Red, what happened to Mikk?”

Lavi tried to look as though he _wasn’t_ eavesdropping, observing how Allen gave a somewhat dismissive wave and delivered some line about a family situation. Or was it a Family situation? It was decidedly hard to tell, especially considering present company.

Lavi absentmindedly wondered if tomorrow’s paper would feature some scoop of this ‘family situation’ thing or if it would remain underground. He also mulled over the fact that he had no recollection of there even being a guy called Mikk in the underworld; not in the higher echelons at any rate. Sure, it could technically be an alias of sort, like the one Allen apparently had, but…

Never mind. Focus. Focus on the present.

Lavi ended up losing quite badly at the end of things, but all in all, he counted this as a win, because in exchange for the cash in his wallet, he had managed to extract way more info on Allen’s social life than expected.

First of all, he was obviously a regular at this place, and so were likely the others. The three fellows at the table – Darius Deville, Boris Bone-breaker, Carlos the Callous – all treated Allen with not just a fair bit of familiarity but also with a fair bit of affection. It seemed rather platonic though, paternal even, so as far as that was concerned, Lavi’s worries had been put to rest. As far as the rest was concerned however−

“Okay,” Lavi said, taking a deep breath once they were safely out of there and hopefully out of earshot. “Let me get this straight: You were short of money and decided to go gambling with… that kind of people.”

“Pretty much,” Allen offered up alongside a mild shrug; he had pulled his hood up again. “I mean, I would’ve gone to a casino or something, but I’m actually banned from all official gambling venues in the state, so…”

He trailed off, leaving Lavi to wonder how exactly someone who was technically underage had managed to accomplish all that. He didn’t think too hard about it though, deducing that it likely had something to do with Allen’s mentor, Cross Marian, a man who had never really shied away from… well, anything really – save for paying his own debts, that is.

In any case, Lavi could kind of see what had made sure that Allen kept returning to that place.

This group of dangerous men had taken him under their wing and provided him with not just finances but also social interactions completely unrelated to the identity of the _Crowned Clown_. Allen could just be himself with these people; he didn’t have to keep up appearances even though he obviously still kept his identity a secret. The unassuming-looking bartender had asked Allen if ‘those girls’ were still turning up to bother him on his shift and if he’d reconsidered his decision not to file a complaint.

As it turned out, ‘Red’ claimed to work at a fast-food restaurant. Allen had likely done so at some point in time, and now, he used it as a euphemism for his work as a hero; ‘those girls’ were likely fangirls, because from reports and from what Lavi himself had observed on social media, the fangirls of C2 were a special type of crazy. Those of Mugen were much the same, but no surprise there. The thing that was a surprise was the unholy alliance that had recently spawned in-between the two.

_#Clownight_

In hindsight, Lavi did feel a tiny bit bad about the part he himself might have played in the whole affair. Sure, it was a fairly minor one, but fact remained that he had fanned the flames, at least early on.

Of course, all was not well with that; certain fangirls of each faction abhorred #Clownight with every fibre of their being. These seemed to be a minority these days however, as the #Clownight faction had grown stronger.

Odds were that they would likely have some type of reaction once C2 began appearing alongside Iron Hammer. Hopefully, the reaction would be a sensible one, but Lavi had his doubts. He had after all had fruits and vegetables thrown at him after pulling a joke on Kanda at one point, and while that whole cream pie incident with Kanda had been hilarious, Lavi would rather not be next in line.

“So…” Allen said at last, breaking Lavi out of his reverie. “Are you gonna report me or what?”

Had Lavi been working for the Agency under normal circumstances, he would probably have been oathbound to do so; no, he would have been, no doubt. However, with his special unique position as the Bookman’s apprentice and given the fact that Komui had only really explicitly told him to keep an eye on Allen and to make sure that there was no repeat of the whole February Incident, then sure, he could probably let this slide. The question was: Should he?

On one hand, reporting Allen’s extracurriculars to Komui would likely ensure that Allen wouldn’t have to continue them, taking him away from a potentially dangerous situation. Then again, on the other hand, doing so would 1) breach the fragile trust Allen had tentatively placed in him, 2) likely inspire even more reckless behaviour, 3) possibly ignite a war in-between rivalling criminal fractions, and 4) breach the Creed of the Bookmen.

That last reason should probably have been at the top of the list, but hey, nobody’s perfect, right?

In any case− “Nah. We should do this again sometime. Besides, those people? If I can’t avoid them, then I’d much rather be friends. Or on friendly terms at least.”

“Besides,” he added, taking note of the odd look sent his way. “I feel a bit honoured that you actually opened up to me.”

Allen let out a mildly disgusted scoff at that; times like these, he and Kanda really did have a lot in common. Fortunately, even Lavi knew better than to point it out.

The walk continued in silence after that.

For once, Lavi did not see the need to fill the silence with seemingly mindless chatter, because it’d be a damned shame to destroy the good rapport he had just managed to build. That made it fairly difficult to talk about anything though, given how Lavi’s default was usually to keep pressing people’s buttons until something interesting happened. Or, well, it was his default in regards to certain people at least.

“Lavi.”

Lavi glanced towards his companion, but Allen wasn’t looking at him; his stormy grey eyes were staring ahead with sudden seriousness. “Yeah?”

“Why did you become a hero?”

The sudden shift in tone – and well, topic as well – took him a bit by surprise. He recovered fairly quickly though, because believe it or not, he had actually prepared a statement for this kind of thing. “Because it looked cool,” he said, the part-lie tasting bitterly on his tongue. “I grew up with the stories of heroes, so I kind of wanted to try it out for myself, and with what I – what Iron Hammer – can do, it’d be a waste not to, right?”

In all actuality, Iron Hammer was just his cover; a role that he played for the sake of convenience, similar to the role that he played now. Because with their task to collect, record and maintain the world’s true history, it only made sense for the Bookmen to temporarily involve themselves with various fractions in order to obtain high quality insider information. Personal attachments were forbidden, because attachments lead to bias, and bias tainted the information. They were to remain completely neutral, even when the world was burning; such was the endorsed standpoint at any−

“Pretty much.”

Huh? Lavi looked up again.

“There’s nothing stupid about wanting to save people, even if you’re in it for the coolness factor,” Allen offered up alongside a mild shrug. “There are far worse reasons.”

Lavi shot him a curious look, but opted not to push his luck. They still had a shift to get through, but maybe after that?

**-o0o0o-**

_CBA: So…_

_CBA: How’s the situation?_

_TM: It’s under control, but it sucks._

_TM: I’d rather eat nettles than this._

_CBA: …_

_CBA: Why nettles?_

_TM: Because I got stung while attempting to sneak out._

_CBA: I’m amazed your evil politician of a brother would allow such things in his garden._

_TM: I know. He should fire his gardener._

_CBA: That said, considering your OP ability…_

_TM: My OP what now?_

_CBA: Considering your OP ability to literally phase through things, why didn’t you?_

_CBA: If you were escaping from the gala, you were doing it unseen anyway, so…_

_TM: …_

_TM: Man, I’m dumb._

_TM: I mean, it’s not exactly news that I’m not the sharpest, but…_

_CBA: Hey, quick question?_

_TM: Hm?_

_CBA: Could you, hypothetically speaking, reject all nettles in a certain area?_

_TM: …_

_TM: I’ve never actually tried._

_TM: I don’t think my abilities work like that._

_TM: But let me check._

**-o0o0o-**

_TM: The answer is no._

**-o0o0o-**

The sound of muffled snickering caught Lavi by surprise. He glanced down from his vantage point to see Allen, or rather C2, positively grinning down at something in his hand, likely that secret second cell phone of his.

“Are you seriously texting someone right now?”

Allen didn’t look up; he just said: “Says the guy who once live-streamed one of his shifts.”

Yeah… not one of Lavi’s proudest moments, at least not in hindsight. The limit of what was considered acceptable behaviour probably ended somewhere around live-tweeting; Lavi was allowed to do that, because it generated a fair deal of positive publicity and all. “I’m not criticising it,” Lavi clarified. “I’m just asking.”

After all, it wasn’t as though anyone could claim Allen wasn’t paying attention; as far as Akuma went, he was pretty unparalleled at tracking. And, considering just how little footage existed of C2 online – not to even mention his multiple getaways from the dreaded Hero Killer – Allen was quite adept at avoid getting spotted himself.

“Say…” Allen said, slipping the phone back into his pocket. “Can I ask you something?”

Well, he technically already had, but− “Sure thing.”

After all, it wasn’t as though the other knew enough to ask him about anything strictly confidential, right?

Yeah, except– “The report of the February Incident; where can I read it?”

“That kind of thing isn’t open for just anyone to read, you know?” Lavi said, leaping off of his vantage point to join Allen down below. “Besides, why would you even want to read such a thing? It’s forty-two pages of−”

Allen tilted his head slightly at that; due to the lenses, Lavi couldn’t see his eyes clearly, but going by the feel of it, Lavi was being regarded with an exasperated stare. It lasted only for a brief moment though, because then Allen kind of sighed, shrugged and got up. “Guess I’ll have to go and get the info straight from the source then…”

At first, Lavi thought nothing more of it, thinking Allen had simply given up. Then, the words properly registered. “Uh, A−uh− _C2? Which source?!_ ”

Allen – who had up until then been stretching – paused, turning partially towards him. “The culprit, of course. Who else am I supposed to ask?”

Culprit. In other words−

In other words, fuck protocol. “You know what, C2? Hold that thought for me, okay? We’ve still got a couple of hours left on our shift. I know it’s pretty dead right now and all, but we can’t leave just yet.”

“I can’t detect even a single Akuma,” Allen commented, staring towards the horizon. “Which is freaking abnormal.”

It was, but it could also be a good thing. Or quite possibly, the prelude to a very bad thing. Hopefully, it was the former. But in case it was the latter− “I’ll give Chief a heads-up just in case.”

**-o0o0o-**


	4. A Break in Protocol/Differing Perspectives

**-o0o0o-**

There were proper protocols for this. There were, really, and Lavi was breaking them one by one. With the current situation at hand though, perhaps it was inevitable though, since Chief Komui had tasked him with looking after Allen’s wellbeing, and that would become indefinitely harder if Central got involved. Besides, Komui had specifically expressed a desire to avoid another major incident, so if Lavi had to bend the rules a bit, so be it.

That said however, it was not as though Lavi could just dig up a forty-two-page report that had only ever been intended for the eyes of Komui and a select few and all. It wasn’t as though he just conveniently had a copy of it lying around at home. Well, not anymore at least, given how Bookman Senior had burned the only copy he had. And his notes as well.

That said however, it was not as though any of it was truly lost now, was it?

“Okay, so,” Lavi said, turning in his swivel chair to look at Allen where he sat on the couch, staring right back at him. “As far as the report goes, we’ve basically got three options. Option number one: I ask Komui to send me a copy of the report, claiming that I need to look something up. Pros: It’s not quite as illegal as options number two and three. Cons: Even if we’ll do it under the table, it’ll probably still take a while until we get. So, option number two: I’ll just rewrite everything from memory. Pros: Less risk of exposure. Cons: It’ll take some time for me to type it all up. Also, pretty illegal. Finally, option number three: You ask your questions about the report and I answer them to the best of my ability. Pros: No paper trail. Cons: None that I can think of. Sounds great. Now, how about it?”

Naturally, Lavi would prefer it if Allen went for option number three, not just because it would entail less danger and less work for Lavi himself; no, no, it was also because he was curious to know just what specific details Allen was so keen on finding out.

Unfortunately, it seemed as though Allen knew exactly what he was thinking, because Allen just leaned back, arms folded across his chest and smiled. “Take your time,” he said, cocking his head to the side. “I’ll wait.”

Well, damn.

**-o0o0o-**

Really though, Lavi did so not need this, not on top of everything else.

Because really, even though he appeared to have a fair bit of spare time on his hands whenever he was not actively working as a hero, such was not really the case. Not normally at any rate.

Because really, Lavi had other things to attend to; other than the work that naturally came with being a Bookman’s apprentice, he obviously had other things to do.

Because unlike certain people, Lavi did in fact have a life outside of work; he was enrolled in college classes and tried to attend at least some of the activities arranged for or by his peers. He even attended raves, provided none of them interfered with his shifts.

He was obviously on social media too, both as himself and as his hero persona, _Iron Hammer_. Heck, back in the day, he had even followed it, simply for the heck of it. It did give him an excuse to be relatively in the know about recent hero-related events after all.

Few other heroes were very involved in social media; some stayed away from it altogether, whereas others made a few official statements every once in a while, posting pics from fan events and all that. There were also those that rarely posted anything about their work and focused entirely upon the other aspects of their lives. Lenalee Lee was such a hero, though she only rarely posted any pics or clips; her brother, the Chief, had often done so in the past, but after certain events, people had become a lot more careful.

Well, except for certain people, that is.

“Hey, quick question?”

Allen hummed, but didn’t look up from his phone; he seemed to be texting someone again, likely that mysterious friend of his.

“Are you sure you don’t want to give option number three a go by any chance? It’d save us both a great deal of trouble, you know?”

That got him a somewhat dirty look, but after a moment or so, Allen’s phone called for his attention, its buzzing signalling an incoming call. Lavi turned back towards the computer, trying very hard not to make it look like he was planning on eavesdropping once Allen took the call. If he took the call, that is, because from what Lavi had seen of his expression, it was not entirely unlikely that Allen would not just hang up right away.

But he did take it, skipping all normal pleasantries in favour of being extremely direct. “You’ve got exactly twenty seconds to convince me not to hang up. Use them wisely.”

Wow…

Unfortunately, even though Lavi strained his sense of hearing, he could not make up the words spoken on the other end. He could discern that the voice was definitely male however.

Still, if Allen had a habit of talking to his friends like that, then it was a true wonder he still had any. Unless they were actually into such a thing, in which case Lavi would probably find it all more than just a bit disturbing.

However, what was also rather disturbing was expression on Allen’s face as he listened to whatever the caller wanted to say. “Oh,” he said, actually sounding a bit taken aback. “That’s actually pretty bad. I’ll call you back in ten, okay?”

He hung up, and Lavi simply couldn’t help but turn around to stare openly now.

“Something came up,” Allen said, taking little notice of it as he was already moving towards the door. “I have to go.”

Lavi opened his mouth to protest, but thought better of it. With the other so incredibly absorbed in this new development, was this not the perfect opportunity to engage in some old-fashioned stalking?

Maybe, but then again…

Well…

Lavi turned back towards his computer and began typing. The city’s street-level surveillance system might not cover every nook and cranny and dead-end in town, but it still had its uses as far as tracking movements went.

Of course, it was normally pretty useless as far as tracking heroes was concerned, in part because many favoured taking the high route. However, in part, it was also because cameras tended to get destroyed or damaged in their general vicinity; dark alleyways and dead-ends seemed particularly affected in that regard. Otherwise, the Agency – or even regular law enforcement for that matter – would have gotten a good look at the Hero Killer many months back, whereas now they had only the blurriest of images and hints of long shadows to work with.

This time around though, Allen clearly left as a civilian, and thus, Lavi was able to tap into one of the nearby cameras just in time to catch sight of him before he disappeared out of view. Determining the direction in which the other was likely headed, Lavi tapped into more camera feeds, and smiled in satisfaction. However, right after that, Allen made an odd turn, slipping out of view and vanishing so quickly that Lavi was unable to keep up. It seemed as though Allen might have noticed after all; it was either that or him acting on his paranoia, really.

Well, fortunately, Lavi was reasonably well-versed in the behavioural patterns of paranoid people, so after a couple of minutes of switching in-between camera feeds in the general vicinity, he was rewarded for his efforts. “Gotcha.”

Mind you, it was just a light glimpse of Allen vanishing into a pizzeria. Lavi actually knew that one; it was technically a Family-run operation; a front for some money-laundering scheme. But damn, the people manning it still made the town’s most delicious pizza, so Lavi simply opted to pretend it was raining and still ordered from them on occasion.

Now Allen, Allen was probably just as aware of what he was walking into. Hell, odds were that he was even on first-name basis with those people, and that he had a designated table and heavily discounted – if not free – meals.

That said however, Lavi still had to wonder just how Allen’s allegedly ripping off a bunch of ‘old men’ could possibly have turned into this kind of situation, because people who fucked with Family? They typically didn’t get to live very long, and even if their lives got spared, they still paid the price for their insolence in other ways. Now Allen however?

Well, on one hand, Lavi could kind of get it, because looking from certain angles, Allen’s behaviour could be considered endearing. Hell, Allen could most certainly charm the pants of most if he only put his mind into it, but it was unlikely that he had employed such charm in dealing with the mob. If he had, then the atmosphere back at the bar would’ve been another.

No, it was far more likely that Allen had in fact just walked right up to them, inserted himself into their poker game and cheated them out of their pocket money, and that the lot had simply been too stunned and intrigued by this kind of insolence to react like normal.

Then, by the time they recovered, it had likely already been too late; Allen, whether aware of it or not, had a definite tendency to grow on people, and once a person formed a reasonably favourable impression of him, it would take a lot – and by that, Lavi really meant _a lot_ – to change it for the worse.

Heck, if Allen put his mind down to it, then he would probably be able to weasel his way out of the situation even if Lavi went to Komui and informed him about Allen’s apparent involvement with the mob. Granted, Allen’s reputation might not escape completely unscathed, but still; neither Komui nor anyone answering to him would ever forward that info to Central if Komui spoke up against it.

Putting it like that though, wasn’t this kind of situation kind of dangerous? If some villain – God forbid – managed to turn Allen against the Agency, then−

“Not good,” Lavi muttered to himself, even while mentally acknowledging that such a scenario was fairly unlikely, because Allen was better equipped than most when it came to avoiding such manipulations.

Besides, while Allen definitely had his reservations about aspects of the hero gig, fact remained that he did have something of a people-saving complex; he might hide it behind about three layers of sarcasm at times, but it was perfectly obvious to anyone with eyes that Allen cared, and that he cared a lot.

Granted, he might have a thing or two to say about people who indulged in recklessness on purpose, but others – innocents, as one might put it? Allen wasn’t the type who could just ignore anyone suffering or facing mortal danger in front of him, plain and simple, and at least before, Lavi would probably even have been able to claim that Allen had really strong morals, at least as far as people were concerned.

Now though, having seen the company Allen was keeping, Lavi could not help but wonder. Because Allen certainly wasn’t born yesterday and certainly couldn’t be oblivious to the type of company he was keeping; those men might act like kind uncles over at the bar, but outside that, in reality, they were something else entirely.

Granted, like many other men in their position, they retained a certain type of fondness for ‘family’, but if they were crossed by those that they considered family, well−

Lavi shuddered, attention flickering back towards the storefront displayed on the video feed. There were no suspicious movements. Of course, that by no means excluded the possibility that Allen might actually have snuck out the backdoor, because he was crafty like that and obviously had to have really keen instincts; he wouldn’t have survived so many encounters with the ‘Hero Killer’ otherwise.

That said of course−

Lavi’s phone suddenly went off, and he swiftly pulled it out, glanced at the screen and then immediately took the call. “Morning, Chief,” he greeted cheerfully, internally dreading what could possibly be the reason for this call. “What’s up?”

_“C2,”_ Komui said. His tone was short, but not angry, per se. More like frustrated perhaps?

“He’s not here,” Lavi immediately said, focusing his gaze upon the live video feed still running on the screen. “He left maybe… forty-five minutes ago?”

_“He isn’t picking up.”_ – Yeah, and that was probably because he got so distracted by that call to his other phone that he left behind his communicator earrings and didn’t make the extra trip up to his apartment to fetch his official phone. – _“We’ve been investigating the matter from last night, and we need him to check something.”_

“Well…” Lavi said, still staring at the screen. “I _might_ just happen to know where he is at the moment, and I _might_ just be able to make contact, but if I do, odds are that he _might_ just freak and file for a restraining order. So, should I still do it?”

_“Do it,”_ Komui said. _“I’ll take full responsibility. Ask him to extend the scan to five kilometres minimum.”_

Whoa. “All right then. I’ll call you up once I have the results.”

Lavi finished the call, still staring at the storefront displayed on the screen. Then he tore his eyes away for a second, bringing up the phonebook on screen. The best pizzeria in town indeed.

“Hello, I’d like to order a large pepperoni to be delivered. Also, I’d like to trouble you with a small favour: Tell Little Red to come to the phone. It’s urgent.”

**-o0o0o-**

It took a while, but Lavi waited patiently while listening to the sounds of footsteps and clothes rustling, of small coughs and murmurs followed by a muffled curse, then more rustling and the sound of a door slamming shut before Allen finally spoke up on the other end.

_“What in the ever-loving fuck?”_ he said, exasperated to say the very least.

Well− Lavi opted to just press onward and say what needed to be said before Allen decided to hang up on him. “Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. Yell at me all you like later. But first, an order from above: Five-kilometre radius scan, go.”

For a brief moment, there was silence, and Lavi momentarily thought he might hear the sound of the call getting cut soon. Instead, there was a long mildly exasperated sigh. _“Chief?”_ Allen asked at last.

Lavi immediately let out an affirmative sound, letting Allen know that yes, such was indeed the case.

There was the sound of a deep breath on the other end, followed by a tinge of static. It lasted for roughly five seconds, and shortly after it ceased, Allen spoke up once more. _“There’s definitely something out there now, pretty close, but I can’t really−”_

The sound of knocking caught them both off-guard. Lavi had a split second to determine that it was the sound of knuckles against a bathroom stall before Allen abruptly hung up.

Annoyed, Lavi nearly pressed redial, but he somehow managed to refrain. Instead, he shifted his attention back towards the video feed still running on the screen. He stared at it for a while, and when nothing occurred, he sighed and moved to dial Komui instead.

While waiting for the call to connect, Lavi kept his attention on the screen. And it was a good thing that he did, because Allen chose that very moment to exit the pizzeria, stepping right into view. Lavi half-expected him to look towards the camera and demonstrate his opinions about Lavi keeping track of him either by glaring angrily at the camera or by literally flipping him the bird.

In the end though, Allen did neither; he simply pulled a newly acquired cap farther down to shield his face. What or rather who did he think that he was hiding from though? It couldn’t be Lavi after all, because Lavi was obviously too smart to fall for that, and this was something they were both supposedly aware of, so−

_“Lavi, are you there?”_

Oh right, Lavi had right been in the middle of calling Komui. Oops. “Sorry, I was distracted there for a sec. But yeah, C2 reports that there’s definitely something out there, but that he can’t get a good read of it. But I think he’s headed back here now, so I could see if he can provide any further details if you want?”

The answer was likely no, all things considered. That said however, it didn’t stop Lavi from trying now, did it?

After finishing the call, Lavi was just about to hack into another live camera feed, given that the person he was tracking had already vanished from view. Just when he was about to do so however, the feed suddenly flickered, and once the static cleared up, there was a tall man standing outside the storefront. Or at least it looked like a man at a fleeting glance. Looking more closely however−

It was still humanoid, at least in terms of shape. In terms of other things however−

Lavi felt chilled to the bone, and he realised that he was actually shaking. Sure, the tremors were fairly minor, but−

Lavi swallowed; his mouth and throat felt oddly dry. It was a strange, instinctual kind of fear, but Lavi steeled himself against it and hit record. Only then did he get up and move. He quickly pulled his uniform jacket back on; it was turned inside out for the sake of stealth. He wasn’t technically on duty and had not yet received any orders to deploy, but he technically still had a duty, and therefore, he reached for his mask.

**-o0o0o-**

After all of that, it did feel somewhat anticlimactic to return from a fruitless patrol only to discover Allen sitting on his couch, eating the last remaining slice of pizza.

“I grew sick of waiting for you,” Allen offered up, sounding far more annoyed than sorry. “But you interrupted my lunch, so I guess this makes us even.”

To be perfectly honest, Lavi was much too relieved to see him sitting there in one piece to complain about the pizza. Ordering it had mostly just been a means to an end after all.

Lavi grinned, despite everything. “Well, sorry to have interrupted your lunch date then. But you know, duty calls and all that.”

Allen just let out a slight huff in response, but did not rise to the bait. Too bad.

“The Akuma aren’t gone, but I can’t locate them properly,” Allen said, and while that was definitely a useful piece of info it was not what Lavi was really after at the moment. That said however−

“Why not?”

Allen did not speak up immediately, but once he did, he said something rather interesting. “There’s interference,” he said, appearing frustrated with the matter. “I’m not sure what it is, but I think there’s some type of barrier. It was probably erected sometime last night, because I’ve been feeling a bit off ever since.”

Been feeling a bit off, huh?

Lavi wondered whether or not this would be a good opportunity to inform Allen about the dark thing that had been following him around. It would probably be a good thing, either to inform him or to determine whether or not Allen was aware of it already.

“What’s up with the cap though?” Lavi asked at last, testing the waters.

“That thing?” Allen said, glancing towards the red cap lying discarded on the nearby table. “Nothing much. Just my paranoia acting up.”

Lavi had to struggle not to grimace, because− _That wasn’t your paranoia, Allen! There was a freaky-looking shadow stalking you._

“Never mind all that though,” Allen said, appearing completely unconcerned. “What happened to the report?”

**-o0o0o-**

_CBA: No report yet._

_CBA: The guy keeps trying to convince me to ask directly instead._

_CBA: No paper trail or whatever._

_TM: You do realise that having no paper trail could be pretty smart though, right?_

_CBA: And you do realise this entire convo is basically a paper trail of its own, right?_

_TM: …_

_TM: Again, odds are I’d get off with a slap on the wrist, even if this got out. Now you on the other hand…_

_CBA: If stuff gets out, I’m fucked anyhow._ ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

_TM: Well, you say that, but you aren’t exactly careful now, are you?_

_CBA: I have been plenty careful. I just haven’t bothered with that guy, since you said he’s basically a neutral party._

_TM: I said that?_

_CBA: You literally said ‘Bookmen don’t take sides’. Like, it’s not their style or whatever._

_TM: …_

_TM: Well, given how we’re still able to talk, I guess._

_TM: It might not last though._

_CBA: Well, that sounds comforting._

_CBA: Seriously though, what are you gonna tell that Big Boss of yours when he comes back?_

_CBA: Like, oops, I lost your magical hitlist and befriended one of the targets._

_TM: …_

_TM: As I already said before, my boss might be fucked up in the head, but he’s not the type to put out a hit on an actual child._

_CBA: …_

_CBA: …_

_CBA: You do know that your boss’ supposed soft spot for children hasn’t stopped him from unleashing any of his evil plans on this town, right?_

_TM: Yeah, except, if you reeeeally looked shit up on a map, then you’d know that no major events take place anywhere near kindergartens, grade schools or orphanages._

_CBA: …_

_CBA: …_

_CBA: So, hypothetically, if we were to put a kindergarten or whatever in an area, that’d make your boss actively steer away from it?_

_TM: …_

_TM: Him, yeah, but I can’t say for the others._

_TM: Sure, the others aren’t really interested in children, except maybe for hostages or whatever. As for Akuma on the other hand…_

_TM: The Akuma do, as you have probably already figured, a mind of their own. Thus, they occasionally don’t act in accordance to established ‘rules’_

_TM: Still, they are effectively the arms, legs, eyes and ears of the Duke, so…_

_CBA: The Akuma are his what now?_

_TM: …_

_TM: …_

_TM: You do realise my boss is the one who creates those things, right?_

_CBA: …_

_TM: You honestly didn’t know?_

_CBA: …_

_CBA: I knew._

_CBA: I’d just… forgotten we were talking about that grinning fat guy with the talking umbrella._

_TM: …_

_TM: You do realise he doesn’t walk around like that all the time, right?_

_TM: He looks pretty normal most of the time._

_TM: As for how he behaves on the other hand…_

_TM: Anyways, if you’d had a better phone, I could’ve sent you a clip from last Christmas. It was pretty mental._

_CBA: …_

_TM: Boy?_

_CBA: Nothing._

_CBA: Just thinking._

_TM: About?_

_CBA: …_

_CBA: …_

_CBA: Nothing._

_CBA: I’ve got homework._

_CBA: ttyl_

**-o0o0o-**


	5. Interference/A Bad Premonition

**-o0o0o-**

_Missed call from TM_

**-o0o0o-**

_Missed call from TM_

**-o0o0o-**

_Missed call from TM_

**-o0o0o-**

_New unread text message from TM_

**-o0o0o-**

_TM: Hey._

_TM: Did I say something really out of line last time or are you just ignoring me because you feel like it?_

_TM: Boy, I know you’ve got your phone on._

_TM: Did you die or something?_

_TM: Ttyl, you said. But when’s later?_

**-o0o0o-**

“Hey, your phone’s been buzzing for a while now. Are you sure you don’t want to check it?”

In response, C2 finally picked up the phone, glancing briefly at the phone before sliding it into one of his pockets, resuming what he had been doing for a while now; meticulously polishing the golden thing on his lap.

Jan honestly couldn’t help but stare. Sure, he technically knew about Timcanpy, C2’s odd and obviously custom-made golem, but that didn’t mean that Jan wasn’t surprised – and kind of delighted as well – to see it this close at hand.

“Was it a terribly persistent telemarketer?” Timothy, or Tim, asked from down below; he was doing his homework lying on his stomach on the ever-cluttered floor of Jan’s workshop.

The latter was nothing unusual. The hero on his couch however, that was a pretty novel thing, especially so since it was a hero in their civvies; the only thing that didn’t really fit the image of a normal teenage in jeans and an upturned hoodie was the beautifully crafted domino mask that any true fans would be able to recognise despite the few opportunities to see it up close.

“No,” C2 said, continuing to polish the golem on his lap. He offered up no elaboration, strengthening Jan’s impression that there was something very wrong about it all. Like, Jan didn’t exactly mind the hero dropping in, not even during the day, but like why?

To ask or not to ask; that was the question. “Are you in trouble, C2?” Jan asked at last, testing the waters. “If your lease is up, you could just crash here, you know? Heck, you could move in if you like; we’ve got plenty of rooms available. I’d even consider paying you as my research assistant. How do you feel about working on Chili Bomb 2.0?”

Predictably, the mention of the Chili Bomb 2.0 had the hero lift his head. He still didn’t say anything though, and that was pretty damned unnerving and all.

“Jr.,” Tim piped up from down below. “I’m thirsty.”

Jan was just about to snap at Tim to go get his own drinks when he realised that yes, clearing out for a bit might just be for the best.

**-o0o0o-**

Jan might not be what could be classified as a regular civilian. Officially speaking, he was, but in practice, he wasn’t. Sure, there was his father’s connection to the Agency, and sure, there was Jan’s connection to C2, however, both were the type of connections that could not be spoken of to outsiders. Granted, Jan now had an insider of sorts in the form of Tim, but he sure as heck wasn’t going to burden a nine-year-old with his worries and grievances. Well, such had been the plan at any rate.

“My dad was a bastard and a drunkard, gambling addict and thief,” Tim had commented when Jan had made an offhanded comment about his absentee scientist of a father. “I still think you got the better deal…”

And Jan supposed he really had; his dad still visited on rare occasions, and typically sent birthday and Christmas presents as well, and even if the former was usually a bit late, it still showed that he tried, right?

It was probably mostly guilt however; Jan had seen it back when his father had last returned, acting jovially yet lying him straight in the face. Granted, Jan hadn’t been much better himself.

_“Sad to hear about your friend, Leon, was it?”_

_Leo._

_“I heard he had to move abroad with his uncle…”_

Was it to be considered mercy? Consideration? Or was it due to the fear that his own son might end up the same?

The man even offered to forward letters to ‘Leon’, as if oblivious to the fact that Timothy already had Leo’s number and knew it had been stopped working at this point, and that his social media accounts were as dead as the one who started them.

His father really was an idiot. Certain days, Jan wondered what kind of face the man would make if he ever learned just what Jan had been up to in his absence; not just chasing Akuma with Leo, but getting involved with C2 and Phantom Thief G, and designing the latter’s equipment. His father would probably freak, especially if he ever learnt about the latter. It was all kind of satisfying though, knowing that the one who thought they were doing the fooling was the one being fooled in return.

Well, shitty absentee father or not, Jan still remained filial enough to continue sending him ugly ties every Father’s Day.

**-o0o0o-**

“Turns out I’m out of tea,” Jan announced, pushing a small cart in front of him, because he sure as heck wasn’t going to tempt fate by carrying three large mugs of steaming hot chocolate, or entrusting it to one of his robots, because last time had ended pretty badly.

Tim flashed a grin and a thumbs up behind C2, who seemed to have abandoned his earlier golem-polishing efforts in favour of looking over Tim’s math homework.

“This one and that one and that one as well,” C2 said quietly, pointing them out on the paper while Tim cursed under his breath and set about erasing the answers.

A hero in his civvies helping out a phantom thief in his civvies with his math homework; well, it definitely made an image, and it was likely one that certain tabloids would pay some very, very good money for. Really though, Jan was in no need of it; he had far enough pocket money already. Besides…

“Thanks,” C2 said, taking the cup handed to him. “I’m honestly a bit of a wreck right now.”

Yeah, no shit. Jan figured the mask did not just shield the other’s identity but also some fairly impressive bags underneath the eyes; he could pick up as much just from the sound of his voice.

“Huh,” he offered simply, handing a cup to Tim before taking the remaining one for himself. “Wanna talk about it?”

It was probably none of his business, with him being a civilian and all. However, with the hero effectively having chosen to descend upon his doorstep, that kind of made it his business now, right?

“It’s nothing, really,” C2 sighed, slouching back down now that the homework had been taken off his hands.

And yeah, that definitely didn’t sound like nothing. Still− “Is there a particular reason you can’t talk about it with someone over at the Agency? They’ve got to have therapists over there, right?” −Or at the very least, people better educated and equipped to deal with…whatever this was.

“Tried that, didn’t work,” C2 said, offering up a somewhat dismissive wave. “They wouldn’t stop pestering me about shit…”

_Shit_ , huh?

“I mean, I get it, like, I’m not exactly into using healthy coping mechanisms, but hey, at least I’m doing something, right? We’ve all got our ways of dealing with the shit we’ve been through, and I just so happen to prefer keeping busy above sitting around talking about my…” C2 trailed off and said nothing for several moments. “Actually, sorry about that,” he said at last. “There’s so much emotional baggage to unpack, so let’s just throw away the entire suitcase.”

Yeah…

Jan turned slightly, opting not to think of it, at least not for now.

“You weren’t this bad before though,” Tim commented. “You’ve been pretty chill since the whole abduction incident…”

Abduction incident?

Jan spun back around, rounding on C2. _“What abduction incident?”_

C2 actually flinched; it was small, but Jan was observant, so he definitely saw it.

“I wasn’t kidnapped!” C2 hissed, attention zeroing in on Tim. “G, put that phone away or so help me God!”

Jan simply looked on, thinking hard. If there had really been some sort of abduction, then how in the seven Hells could he possibly have missed it?

Wait…

Jan put down his cup of hot chocolate and went to snatch up his tablet, quickly bringing out the first thing that came to mind and turning it towards the others. _“This?”_

C2, already pale enough, positively blanched. Tim answered in his stead.

“Yeah, that one, that one!” he said. “The Agency made up some bullshit excuses about being on high alert due to some threat or whatever, while having a bunch of people running around looking for him!”

Yeah, Jan had definitely heard about that. He hadn’t been around though, because the incident had coincided with him being out of town to attend a large science fair halfway across the country.

The thing is, Jan had sort of, maybe, planned on asking C2 about it, but he had been busy with other stuff and then Tim had made contact and then−

“What happened?” Jan asked, putting the tablet back down before returning to the area by the couch. Jan would have brought the thing with him, but instincts told him it was probably a whole lot safer not to do so.

“Nothing happened,” C2 hissed, setting the cup down with a bit more force than necessary before wiping his mouth. “Got into a fight, got a concussion, and called an acquaintance to come and pick me up instead of reporting in.”

Plausible. Still− “Got into a fight with who?”

“Nobody you know,” C2 snapped. “And nobody you’d ever like to meet either.”

Curious.

“Was it the yellow-eyed villain of Third District you warned me about?” Tim asked, and going by the twitch that followed, the guess likely wasn’t all that far from the truth.

Still− “What yellow-eyed villain?”

“Nobody,” C2 deadpanned, getting back to his feet. “There are far bigger issues at hand.”

“Bigger issues?”

C2 looked towards Jan. “There’s a barrier covering much of the city, and odds are, it’s nothing good. My ability to sense the presence of Akuma isn’t working, and my intel has it that the villain boss is coming back to town.”

Villain boss? _“The Millennium Earl?”_

“The Millennium what now?” Tim frowned. Odds were that he didn’t even know a lot about the Earl; Tim hadn’t given any real indication of having much knowledge about Akuma at all, barring the fact that they existed, of course.

Jan hadn’t intended to tell him much either, since C2 hadn’t. But− “The Millennium Earl is the villain that creates Akuma. The Akuma disguise themselves to hide amongst the population and at night, they go out to kill people. In time… in time they will grow more powerful, and then…”

“They’ll evolve,” C2 commented, if somewhat reluctantly. “It’s not pretty.”

Tim’s head lowered slightly. “Okay,” he said simply. “So, you came here to warn us?”

Yeah, because that would make some sort of sense.

“Why us though?” Jan asked, watching as C2 called Timcanpy back to his side. “We’re kids. It’s not like we can do anything…”

Actually, Jan resented that; he was a kid, sure, but he was shitload more capable than a lot of adults. Sure, he was still self-aware enough to realise that he still had ways to go, not just in terms of maturity but also in terms of acquiring knowledge and experience, but−

C2 shook his head. “I’m not here to ask you to help out,” he said, letting Timcanpy climb inside his upturned hood. “The Science Division’s pretty capable…”

Well, they obviously had to be, but Jan sensed that there was a definite ‘but’ in there somewhere. Still− “You wanted to tell someone what was up, just in case the shit hits the fan, right? Did you also drop a hint with that acquaintance of yours?”

“That guy?” − Cue another dismissive wave. − “That guy’s a bust. The fat guy basically ordered a hit on me, and the guy was basically like _‘Yeah, I’m sure it’s just some mistake. Even if he’s a bad guy, I don’t think he’s the type of guy to order a hit on a minor’_ , as if the fat guy didn’t already try to get me killed back when I was ten!”

Whoa. Jan was really starting to see that whole suitcase thing now.

“I got a bounty on my head when I was like nine,” ten-year-old Tim supplied, still sipping his hot chocolate.

“Yeah, and you were about one theft away from getting a legit hit on your head by the time I got to you,” C2 deadpanned. “So, once again, please don’t steal from the mob, because it’s very likely to get you killed.”

Yeah, that definitely sounded like sound advice… coming from someone who was likely a little too involved for comfort, given the factual tone in the first part. That wasn’t the part that captured the brunt of Jan’s attention however.

“You said the guy said that the fat guy wouldn’t order a hit on a minor?”

“…Yeah.”

“And how old are you again?”

Jan had always known that C2 was definitely on the younger side, but he hadn’t thought much about how old, just young but definitely a few years older than him. Now however, having gained new insights, Jan felt like he at least had to ask.

“Old enough to drive and to work the nightshift but not old enough to drink or smoke, but allegedly young enough to warrant not getting killed despite being a major nuisance…” C2 surprisingly admitted, though the latter part was more of a quiet mutter than anything as the hero stood up, called for Timcanpy and headed for the exit, leaving Jan and Tim to stare after him.

“Yeah,” Tim said, once the hero was out of sight. “I think he needs to talk someone. Or punch someone. Possibly both.”

Yeah, someone. Like that acquaintance of his, for example. Still−

“Why punch people when you have a flamethrower at hand?” Jan commented, his tone quite light-hearted despite his heart feeling quite heavy. “But anyways, you done?”

“With my homework? Sure.”

“And with pretending not to know basic algebra?”

Tim frowned down at his math homework. “Is that what this is?”

**-o0o0o-**


End file.
